


The Novelist

by Charming_Quill



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 12:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1119852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charming_Quill/pseuds/Charming_Quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You know the story of some of the other fairy tale characters, but what of the woman who lived in a shoe?  This is their story of being powerful pagemasters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pagemasters

“The beautiful Lady looked absolutely ravishing in her jeweled wedding gown as she daintily stepped down the walkway. Birds sang, the animals were all abuzz with excitement and the king’s daughter was nearly jumping for joy in her seat with her bouquet. It was nothing short of a gloriously beautiful wedding that any bride would die to have.  
But the beauty was only skin deep. Deep down inside she burned. Deep down inside her heart turned black as coal and did not reflect her outward appearance. For she had grown bitter from the loss of her eternal loved one. With each step she planned her revenge and vowed to kill the king. They were married and swept away into the castle. And that dear daughters, is the story of the Lady and the Stable Boy.”  
Shutting the book, the man pushed himself out of the chair and carefully shelved the book in its rightful place. In the glow of the candles, his daughters saw his straight brown hair and brown eyes as he walked back over and adjusted their blanket. Moria wore an unsatisfied look on her face.  
“Why Moria, what’s with the frown?”  
“Read us another story daddy! Please read another one!” Moria begged. She was curled up in bed with her four other sisters snuggled together. Her brown curly hair dangled at her shoulders and brown eyes were opened wide and full of hope.  
“No Moria. It’s time for the five of you to go to sleep or else your mom will have my head.” He stood towering over the young children patting them each on the head and giving them a goodnight kiss.  
“Just one more!” Eleanora cried. She too had brown hair and eyes but her slightly tan skin set her apart from the other girls.  
“PLEASE!” Ardwinna pleaded. Her brown hair was short-only as long as the base of her neck- and straight. The other two daughters- Adalira and Celest- nodded sleepily that they too wanted another story.  
“Alright.” Their father smiled and dimmed the lamp at the foot of their bed. He sat down in a wooden rocking chair and sat forward. The girls huddled together and listened.  
“Once Upon a Time, there was a magical race of humans charged with the task of documenting our world. They were a race dubbed the Book-keepers by the kingdoms. They traveled all over the land searching for stories high and low. For thousands of years these book-keepers passed down their magical properties through their stories and historical recordings. Now there were five girls who were the daughters of the magnificent Pagemaster…”  
“Ok magnificent Pagemaster. I thought I told you to put these girls down for bed.”  
“I was but…”  
“We aren’t tired mommy.” Ardwinna yawned.  
“Oh but I think that yawn speaks differently.” Their short statured mother, with her long brown hair swaying as she walked, stepped over to the large bed and tucked them into the covers. “Your father can finish the story tomorrow. For now its bedtime my little page masters.”  
“Night momma.” They all sighed in unison. Soon they were all fast asleep and dreaming. Their father and mother hugged each other and smiled.  
“You spoil them so Gildas.”  
“What can I say Anamaria? They have captured a soft spot in my heart.”  
“There you go with those words again…”  
“Oh but my dear, words are where our magic lies.” He laughed as he poked her nose. She giggled and poked his stomach.  
“We can’t wake the children.”  
“Then we shall retire to bed so in the early morning hours we may do our solemn house duties.” They stepped outside of the door and carefully closed it shut.


	2. Welcome to Storybrooke

“Ahhh…” Ada yawned as she stretched in her warm and comfy bed. Her alarm clock had just finished ringing signaling the start of another busy day. She pulled herself out of bed and yawned again.  
“Oh boy. I’m so tired,” she rubbed her eyes as she threw on her light blue bathrobe. Her blue bed sheets were all tangled up. She quickly straitened them out and yawned a third time.  
“Maybe a quick shower will wake me up.” She sighed as she walked to the bathroom. Stepping into the steamy shower, she moaned as the warm water trickled down her skin. The warm sensation felt good on her skin. Lathering her hair in shampoo and conditioner, she washed the soap suds out of her hair and brushed it into her usual high ponytail.  
After that, she walked out of the shower and dressed in a pair of comfy jeans and a warm blue sweater. She tied her brown hair in a blue ribbon and, satisfied with her appearance, went downstairs to the kitchen.  
Though the kitchen was small, it had a massive pulley system working as a conveyor belt. Usually when Ada headed downstairs, all the kitchen supplies and ingredients were set out ready to use. Yet this time nothing was set out and the conveyor belt was empty.  
“She must have overslept,” Ada muttered as she grabbed a loaf of bread and other sandwich supplies from the kitchen. She stacked the slices of bread on the conveyor belt and began lathering them with cheese, ham, baloney, turkey, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and some peanut butter and jelly as they passed by. She carefully made each sandwich to the likings of everyone who occupied the three story house. That was when she heard a creak on the stairs.  
There stood her sister, Helen, with her dark brown hair and its silvery tint. She wore her light blue jeans, button down grey shirt and her mail-carrier jean jacket. With her mail bag slung over her shoulder and dark circles under her eyes she hastily pulled her black boots onto her feet.  
“Oh why did I have to oversleep today?” She moaned.  
“I wondered where you were when the lunch supplies wasn’t out yet.” Ada giggled. Helen shot her a glare as she snatched up her brown mailbag and checked her pockets.  
“Where are my…”  
“Looking for these?” Ada asked as she dangled a key ring on her finger.  
“Ha…guess I left them out last night.” Helen laughed as Ada dropped them into her hands. Then Ada handed Helen her ham, baloney, and cheese sandwich with chips and a Dr. Pepper. Helen smiled as she also took them from Ada and stuffed them in her mail bag. “How would we get along without you?”  
“Poorly I’d imagine.” Ada went back to constructing lunches while Helen grabbed her hat and started for the door.  
“Well, I’d better leave before I’m late.”  
“Did you grab Archie’s files?” Helen reached back through the screen door and groped around for the files. Ada rolled her eyes as she tipped the table and the files landed in Helen’s hands.  
“Thanks. See you tonight!” Helen called as she rushed out the door and down the street. Ada shook her head as she continued slapping sandwiches together. She heard another stair creak and there stood her youngest sister, Samantha, with her dirty blonde hair wearing a bright green jacket and jeans. She had a wide grin on her face as she set her elbow on the counter.  
“How are we this morning dear?”  
“Absolutely fine Samantha. I see you are your usual cheerful morning self.”  
“What else could I possibly be on a refreshingly wonderful Monday morning?” Samantha swung her long hair out of her face and smiled as Ada handed her the brown paper bag labeled Samantha. “My yummy turkey and cheese and lettuce and…”  
“And tomatoes with strawberries and Sprite.” Ada finished.  
“You know me so well,” Samantha chuckled, “Well I’m off to the chapel then the landscaping business. Expect me to be here in a timely fashion for dinner. Ciao.”  
“Bye!” Ada waved.  
“Why is she so cheery all the time?” Someone groaned. Ada nearly jumped out of her clothes she was so startled by the voice. She quickly turned and sighed when she realized it was only another one of her sisters. Maria’s brown curly hair with a dash of red highlights was barely brushed and she wore just a plain pair of jeans and her Batman T-shirt.  
“Goodness. You scared me half to death.” Ada sighed. Somehow Maria always managed to miss that creaky step and nearly give her sister a heart attack every time. Maria just shrugged.  
“My lunch ready yet?”  
“Here you go. Just the way you like it.” Ada tossed the brown bag and Maria caught it.  
“Thanks. I’ll be home tonight hopefully. Oh, I asked Mr. Gold for the day off tomorrow so I can help you with that story we were working on also. He said it was ok if I put in some overtime clearing out his storage closet the day after.”  
“That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.”  
“It’s part of the job. See you tonight.”  
“Don’t get squashed by falling boxes!” Ada called out. Maria flicked her wrist and darted out the door. Shaking her head, Ada wiped her hands on a nearby towel and looked towards the stairs. She grumbled when she saw no one was there.  
“If I had a quarter for each time…” she muttered as she charged up the stairs. This was the downside to Monday mornings, awaking the second youngest daughter Zoe.  
The rebellious eighteen year old always came home at strange hours attempting to sneak in whatever helpless animal she found in the road or on the ground or in the woods. She always had some stain on her clothes or mud on her shoes or leaves in her hair. Ada nearly lost her temper multiple times at her sister for all these occurrences.  
But Zoe’s habits did not end there. Since she often came home from somewhere after midnight almost each night, she tried to sleep all hours of the day. This was especially worse on Mondays, and if Ada did not walk up there and awaken her, then Zoe would sleep straight through the day without a care.  
Ada reached Zoe’s room and banged on the door. Like every other Monday morning, Zoe did not answer. Ada tried banging on the door again but to no avail. Then she slipped the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door.  
Just as Ada suspected, Zoe was huddled underneath her warm covers with her head sunk into her fluffy pillows. Ada snuck over to her bedside with a copper pot and a metal spoon. She stood there lying in wait for Zoe to turn around. Zoe did and Ada leapt at the chance.  
“WAKE UP!” She yelled as she slammed the spoon against the pot. Zoe shot up out of bed and nearly fell over in shock. Her face became red when she noticed it was just her sister with a pot and a spoon wearing a smirk on her face.  
“Why do you do this to me?” Zoe asked as she flopped back down onto her bed. Ada ripped the covers off and pointed to her closet.  
“Zoe Nicole Paige! You have work in twenty minutes and you’re still not…”  
“Twenty minutes?” Zoe panicked as she shot out of bed for the second time and began tugging on her uniform. “I’m going to be late!”  
“Really…I hadn’t noticed.” Ada rolled her eyes and walked out of Zoe’s room. By now, all the other ten kids were awake and they were standing outside their door watching the spectacle. They hushed as Ada closed the door and leaned against it rubbing her forehead.  
“Don’t think you need to get ready for school?” She said with a forceful tone. The kids scrambled back into their room and began quickly pulling on their clothes. “That’s better.” Ada mumbled as she trekked back down the stairs.  
That’s what her life often felt like; one giant staircase where she was constantly jogging up and down in a mad struggle to gain the upper hand. Alas an easy life was not meant for her. She loved every single one of the children and would never give them up.  
Finally Zoe came bounding down the stairs in giant leaps and flew past Ada who held out the lunch bag. Zoe barely said a word, “Thanks Ada. BYE!”  
“WAIT!” Ada commanded. Zoe, despite her better judgment, stopped in her tracks just at the back door.  
“I gotta…”  
“I’m just reminding you to be home on time tonight. Remember?”  
“Oh, ok. I’ll be on time.” She promised as she flew out the door. Ada just shook her head and watched as the parade of children began their decent. Jonathan hopped off the steps first followed by George and Evelyn. Then came the triplets, Malcolm, Neil, and Reilly, followed by the twins, Laura and Ethan, with Warren and Kaylee trailing behind.  
All of them squealed with excitement as they received their lunch. Ada did not quite understand all of it-considering they were all talking at once-but she did gather there was some sort of fun school activity going on at school. Everyone was bouncing out of their shoes as Ada opened the front door. They darted outside and crossed the street before she could even called goodbye.  
Now she finally snagged a small portion of the day to herself. She quickly wrapped herself in her coat and sat outside in the cold morning air sipping some delicious melted ice cream she happened upon in the fridge. Smiling as she breathed the fresh air, she leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment.  
“Hi Mrs. Paige,” Someone greeted. Ada opened her eyes to find Henry standing on the bottom step.  
“Hi Henry,” Ada flashed a smile when she saw Henry’s bulky book. “I see you’ve still got that magic book.”  
“Yes I do,” He hugged the book a bit tighter as he spoke, “It’s extremely important.”  
“Well I’m sure it is,” Ada sipped her ice cream again.  
“There’s just one thing I don’t understand. This book mentions the nursery rhyme the Old Woman who lived in a shoe.”  
“Why is that so baffling? Isn’t it a fairytale too?”  
“No…nursery rhymes are not full-fledged fairytales. They’re more like quick little poems. So why would they be mentioned?”  
“Maybe they are a fairytale they just didn’t get too much attention.” Ada laid her mug on the outside table. “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn't know what to do; She gave them some broth without any bread; Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.” She quoted.  
“I guess so,” Henry shrugged. “I just can’t find them in the story except for brief moments.” Ada patted him on the head.  
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon. Now, isn’t that your teacher waving you inside?” Henry smiled as he jumped down the stairs.  
“Thanks Ada! See you later.”  
“Bye Henry.” Ada sighed as she picked her cup back up. “Better get to my chores and writing.”


	3. All Hail the Queen

“Jonathan! Don’t you dare even think about jumping on that rocking chair!” Adalira yelled. Her blue eyes glared at the mischievous Jonathan as he stared back. Adalira was the shortest older sibling; she stood there in an apron and loose fitting blue dress holding a large wooden spoon in her hand. Her long brown hair was neatly braided and tied with silk blue ribbons. Jonathan crossed his arms in defense.  
“But George did it a minute ago!” Jonathan whined. Adalira raised an eyebrow.  
“I do believe I did not see George climbing earlier but I have caught you in the act.” Jonathan ran his fingers through his spiky brown hair while he searched for a reply. Before he could, Adalira pointed her spoon at the corner.  
“Five minutes.” She commanded. Jonathan sulked over to the corner and huffed as he slid down to his punishment.  
“Adalira! Where’s Harris, Hubert, and Hamish?” Her mother called frantically.  
“Last time I checked they were wallowing outside in the mud. Something about natural healing properties and mud ball tag.” Adalira stirred the boiling pot on the stove. A waft of delicious smelling steam filled the house as she cut up some potatoes and dumped them in.  
“I swear! Everything Celest tells them to do they follow like happy little mischievous sheep. I remember when she used to roll around in the mud and launch mud bombs from the roof at unsuspecting people below.” Their mother reminisced.  
“I remember that also. I had to use the stream multiple times to wash the mud out of my hair.” Her mother sighed as she picked up the wet laundry in the wash basket. She scrubbed a pair of George’s advisor robes as she spoke.   
“Well now she’s busy with that fairy trio-Flora, Fauna and Merryweather- and tramping around the forest with the tots on the weekends. It’s Moria and Eleanora that we should worry about.”  
“Eleanora assures us that her messenger route is perfectly safe except for Baba Yaga’s mailbox and Moria simply house keeps for Rumplestiltskin every week or so. What’s there to worry about?”  
“Dark magic I’m afraid. Dealing with those wicked beings sends shivers down my spine. I never liked them getting involved with those kinds of people…if you can even call them that.”  
“It’s a work hazard I suppose.” By now, Adalira had given up on worrying about her four younger siblings and their harrowing jobs. Being the current pagemasters, it was there duty to complete their father’s books and the only way that would happen was if they tromped around the kingdoms gathering their information.   
The warm bubbling stew sizzled as she poured more broth into the pot. She eyeballed it and guessed that it was about enough for everyone. Taking care of ten children was no small task even with the help of her mother. Plus she and her sisters had to eat and John and their mother.   
Some strange noise sounded outside broke Adalira’s trance. Listening carefully, she strained to hear its origins. She could have sworn it was the whinnying of a horse and wheels coming from outside the house.   
‘Oh no. Ardwinna brought home another animal,’ she sighed. Ardwinna’s fondness of animals often got her in trouble with sneaking animals into their home or the schoolhouse. Her mother must have thought the same thing because hobbled over to the window and glanced outside with a stern look on her face. Her face went from rosy to pale white. Her lip trembled as she shut the curtains and wiped her hands on her apron.   
“Adalira, gather the children quickly,” she warned. Adalira was about to call the kids but there was a harsh knock at the door. Their mother lifted her head and brushed the dirt off her face and arms. She straightened her apron and opened the door.  
There she stood in a black and purple suit with a long flowing train standing in the doorway. Her deep red lips were curled into a ferocious smile as she entered the house. All of the kids, even the triplets, gathered around the table to strain to see her as their mother addressed their guest.  
“Your majesty…” She bowed.  
“Oh Anamaria, there’s no need for formalities.” The queen smirked. She rubbed her black gloves together as she suspiciously eyed the children.  
“Apologizes your majesty but I had no idea you planned to visit our humble abode…”  
“Humble is putting it mildly.” The evil queen smugly looked around the cozy home with disgust. “I mean, who would dare to live in a shoe?”  
“Well our first house burned down and this giant’s shoe was just lying around so we cut out the insides and…”  
“Yes I know. You crafted your little piece of heaven through hard work and love. Please spare me the details.”  
“As you wish.”  
“Hey lady! I like our house and you’re mean!” Lara, one of the blonde haired and green eyed twins, hollered at the queen.   
“Yeah!” Ethan, the other twin, agreed. Both Adalira and Anamaria felt their blood go cold as the queen turned her angry gaze at Lara and Ethan. Adalira especially could tell the children were planning a revolt against this nasty woman that had insulted their home so she acted quickly. She grabbed an empty pot and banged the spoon against it to get their attention.  
“That’s enough!” She yelled. The children immediately stopped their revolt and stared at Adalira. “I do believe the queen is our guest and this is not how we taught you to treat guest. Now go outside and wash up for dinner. I don’t want to find a spec of dirt on any of you when you come back inside!”  
They hurried outside and splashed in the nearby stream. Anamaria quickly shut the door. She sighed with relief that Adalira was cunning enough to occupy the children. The queen smoothed out her train and cleared her throat.  
“Now that those little devils are out of our hair we can talk business.”  
“I thought you only did business with Rumple?” Adalira questioned as she crossed her arms. No matter how much Eleanora felt the queen tugging at her heartstrings with pity, Adalira did not trust the queen. All she could think about was the multiple stories Moria had returned with of yet another Rumple-queen scheme.  
“Smart girl,” the queen mumbled. “Actually I was just skimming through the royal records and I came across something puzzling. Your five oldest daughters are at the least five years apart from your other children. I’ve take it you’ve had a husband before your current one.”  
“Yes…he was killed by an ogre quite some time ago.” Anamaria admitted.  
“What was his name again? Gildas Bookminster.”   
“Gods rest his soul.” Anamaria muttered at the mention of her late husband’s name.   
“I couldn’t help but notice he came from a long line of Pagers.”  
“What are you getting at?” Adalira asked. She had a vague idea of where this conversation was going. The queen’s smiled broadened as she strolled towards them.  
“Only that I know he was writing a very important book and that I will pay a handsome price for it. Perhaps a decent house? A palace of your own with servants at your disposal? A handsome sum of money?”  
“What book?” Adalira pretended to be confused as she glanced at her mother. “Dad never mentioned a book.”   
“But surely you know.” The queen stepped closer to Adalira and gazed her carefully soaking up every detail. “Being the daughters of the famous Pagemaster I do think after his death you five would take on his grueling responsibilities and pick up the book where he left off…”  
“That’s enough your majesty.” Anamaria growled. The queen seemed taken aback by this for a moment before her smile returned.  
“Why whatever do you mean?”  
“I will not have you, whether you are the queen or not, come into my home and demand something of my husband’s which doesn’t exist. The only books my husband wrote were children’s books in the school house.”  
“But I was so sure it was here…”  
“Well I’m afraid you were wrong your majesty. Now unless you want to be bombarded by what you consider snot nosed brats, I suggest you retire to your castle.” Tension oozed between the two women as they stared each other down. Adalira had never seen her mother so confrontational. Finally the staring match ended with the queen adjusting her hairpin.  
“Fine. Deny it all you like but I assure you that the book you have will soon be mine. One way or another, I will have that book!” The queen opened the door and slammed it shut after she walked outside. Adalira sighed and caught her mother as she nearly fainted.  
“Oh I’ve done it now Adalira.” She cried.  
“You’ve done nothing wrong mother.” Adalira comforted as she dragged her over to the table chairs. “Now sit down and stop worrying.”  
“Don’t you see Adalira? She knows! She knows all about the book. And with that curse she’s planning to unleash, who knows what could happen to us.”  
“Shh Mom…Don’t upset yourself. It’s ok.”   
“We’ll have to warn your sisters or else she could get to them…”  
“They’ll be here for dinner any minute now Mother. Please try to relax.” Adalira placed a cold rag from the soap basket on her mother’s forehead and went back to stirring the pot. She was not pleased that the queen had made the accusation either. Could she really know all about the book or was she checking a rumor?  
She had to put those thoughts out of her mind as she opened the door and called out, “DINNER!”


	4. Sheriff Swan

“Hey Henry,” Emma greeted as Henry came bounding out of school.  
“What are you doing here Emma? My mom’s on her way to pick me up.” Henry was awkwardly carrying around his favorite fairytale book. Emma rolled her eyes at the mentioning of Regina’s name and bent over to be eyelevel with Henry.  
“I’m here to investigate a noise complaint; some loud obnoxious kids who live in that house.” Emma pointed across the street to the old apartment building. “And I’d thought I’d just drop by to say hello.”  
“So you’re investigating the Paige family?”  
“Is that their last name?” Henry nodded.  
“I have a few of them in my class. There are fifteen of them.” Emma’s eyes widened.  
“Fifteen kids? Wow…their mother is a brave soul.” Henry tried to interject but Emma just rubbed his head and began walking towards the house. “See you later Henry.”  
She stomped up the creaky steps in her brown boots and sighed as she searched for a doorbell. The only thing she found was an old apartment buzzer that looked less than useable. So she grabbed the knocker shaped like an oak tree and knocked.   
She could hear the commotion on the other end. Someone was loudly beating against the wall and screaming and someone else was crying and other kids were singing. It sounded to Emma like a house on the verge of disaster. Suddenly the noise subsided and a woman answered the door.   
The clearest blue eyes Emma had ever laid eyes on were staring at her. Her smile was wide and her hair was tied back in a ponytail with silky blue ribbons. Emma was startled at her age. She seemed to be as old as Ruby’s and Ashley’s age; 21. She stuck her hand out.  
“Hello Sheriff Swan,” She said as she shook Emma’s hand. Emma was baffled. How could she know who Emma was? Did word travel that fast? The woman giggled at Emma’s bewildered face then offered up an explanation.  
“My sister delivers the mail and she’s talked about you coming to town.”  
“Oh…” Emma blushed.   
“I’m Ada Paige by the way. What can I do for you sheriff?”  
“Well I got a call from Mrs. Ginger and she was complaining about a noise problem.”  
“Noise problem eh?” Ada rolled her eyes and turned back inside. “RASCALS!”  
A hoard of children came rushing to the door. They stood in a semi straight line behind the doorway. Some struggled to see Ada above their siblings. Nevertheless, each and every one came out of the house when Ada wagged her finger at them.  
“Have you children been making too much noise?” They nervously glanced around and finally pushed a tanned girl forward with chocolate brown eyes. She stuck her finger in her mouth but when Ada bent down she gently pulled it out. “What happened Evelyn?”  
“We were loud and being reckless.” She shyly answered. “Then Kaylee hurt her finger and Jonathan and George were arguing again and…”  
“Ok Evelyn.” Ada raised her eyebrow and folded her arms as she stared at the others. “I want everyone to apologize to Sheriff Swan.”  
“We’re sorry.” They sighed.   
“I’m sorry for the trouble they caused. I’ll make sure they keep it down.” Ada’s sweet sugary smile was back on her face as the kids disappeared back into the house. “Would you care for something to eat?”  
“Um…no I need to…”  
“Nonsense. I think food is an excellent idea.” Ada gently grabbed Emma’s hand and led her inside. While it was shabby on the outside, the inside looked refurnished. The kitchen was not far from the front door and Emma took a seat at the table. Ada hurried over to the fridge and glanced inside.  
“You like leftover Banana bread?”  
“Um…sure…” Ada sliced a cold piece for Emma and slathered it with butter. Emma gladly accepted the piece of bread and the hot chocolate. She eyeballed the fireplace and the mounds of toys as she placed her mug back on the counter.  
“So…you take care of all those kids?”  
“Yes ma’am. I take care of every single one of them.”  
“And you aren’t their…”   
“…Mother,” Ada finished. She bowed her head at this word and fiddled with an unwashed dish in the sink. “No but I’m their guardian. See, these kids are all orphans and they were living on the street before we took them in.”  
“That’s awfully sweet of you.”  
“Well my sisters and I were orphans once ourselves. Our mother abandoned us when we were young after my father died and our stepfather was thrown in jail.”  
“Wow…that’s terrible,” Emma said as she bit into a piece of bread. Ada knew her mother and why she was abandoned. Emma could not imagine what that must have felt like.   
“Yeah…almost as bad as your story.” Ada exhaled as she furiously scrubbed the sauce from the dish.  
“My story?” Emma almost chocked on the hot chocolate for a moment. How could Ada possibly know so much about a person she had just met?  
“No wait…let me guess.” Ada leaned against the counter. “Your parents left you on the side of the road, you had no family because you bounced around the foster system, and you had a tragic experience that ended up you giving birth to Henry.” Emma blinked in shock and gulped.  
“How did you know?” To this question, Ada just shrugged.  
“You know, town here say,”  
“Am I really the topic of this town?” Emma cried in frustration as she rubbed her forehead.  
“You’re new to Storybrooke so people will talk about you until there’s nothing else to talk about.” Ada explained. Emma was about to say something else when a brown haired woman resembling Ada opened the door balancing a cake. Ada rushed over to help. “Goodness Helen. Mrs. Ginger really outdid herself.”  
“I know. My bag is filled with cookies and cupcakes.” Helen exhaled as she collapsed on the chair next to Emma. “Hello Sheriff Swan.”  
“Hi Helen,”  
“She gives you so many sweets I’m not sure what to do with them. Next time she should try fudge.” Ada conversed as she slid the cake into the fridge.  
“I shall give her no such thoughts,”  
“Why did Mrs. Ginger, the town grouch, give you a cake?” Emma wondered.  
“She is not the town grouch! She’s just old and cranky but she happens to appreciate it when I bring her mail by.” Helen snapped her fingers and pulled an envelope out of her mail bag. She dropped it on the counter.  
“Archie’s files special delivery.”  
“Thanks Helen,” Ada picked up the envelope and dropped it down on the table.  
“Why do you have psychological files?” Emma said between her bites of the delicious banana bread.  
“I’m technically Archie’s secretary except I can hardly ever get out of the house due to the overwhelming number of children I have to care for. So he sends them to me, I type them up, then I send them back the next morning with Helen.”  
“Oh…” Emma gulped down her last bit of hot chocolate and banana bread and wiped her mouth on a napkin. “Well since the noise complaint has been settled I should get going.”  
“Here, take these,” Helen dumped a bundle of cookies into Emma’s arms. “The kids don’t need sweets and we’re never going to eat them all.”  
“Thanks…”


	5. World Falls Away

The golden glow of candles lit up the shoe house. Smoke billowed from the chimney as the family pushed out the night’s cold and bitter chills. The smell of cooked goodies wafted through the door.  
Inside the house there was laughter and dancing. Adalira was twirling around with Celest and Ardwinna in the living room floor. Moria and Eleanora sat at tables clapping their hands to the beat of the music. The children jumped and hollered as they dashed about chasing each other. Anamaria stood next to her husband John who held a guitar in his hand. He was strumming away to the tune of an upbeat folk song.  
“The happy little bluebird sang it’s pretty little song, as she soared through the sky. No time for her to fret, no way for her to worry. For there she goes the happy little bluebird. Where she lands no one will know.” They all sang as John tapped his foot. Anamaria held up her mug and laughed.  
“Oh John you rascal! I just love the sound of your amazing instrument,”  
“Why thank you dearie! Made it myself,”  
“I know. It’s delightfully sweet sounding.” They both swayed to the music. John had his unruly red hair brushed back. Anamaria tousled it some and John smiled.  
“All that work for nothin’…”  
“The farmer moaned as he spread his seeds and planted the plow,” She sang. She was interrupted by the pattering of feet coming towards them.  
“Mom! Jonathan said I can’t advise anyone and they should kick me out of King Midas’s court!” George whined.  
“Did not!”  
“Did too!”  
“Kids!” Anamaria gave them a harsh glare and they quickly scampered off deciding today was not the time to have this argument. Anamaria settled back into the arms of her lover as sweet little Kaylee came clambering up to the chair.   
“Can I play daddy?” Kaylee asked with her tiny fingers reaching for the guitar on his lap.  
“Maybe next year sweetheart,”  
“But I wanna play now,”  
“You’re not big enough. You’ve got to grow taller and let your hands grow out,” Kaylee giggled as she stared at her hands. Then she dashed off to join her siblings.   
Now Adalira and Celest had joined the others around the counter. They caught the last tidbits of a conversation Moria and Eleanora had. They both mischievously giggled.   
“Planning something devious are we?” Celest chuckled, “I want in.”  
“No, we’re just exchanging work stories,” Moria answered.  
“I was this close to having my hand taken off by Baba Yaga’s mailbox and the blind witch attempted to feed me a cupcake with blue frosting.” Eleanora recounted.  
“Speaking of bad guys,” Adalira interrupted, “Have any of you been approached by the evil queen?” The touchy subject caused a great deal of discomfort for each of the girls. They were not happy that one of the powerful players was onto their secret treasure.  
“Nope. Just Rumple pestering me to do a job for him.” Moria scrunched her nose at this thought.   
“She does not dare venture to anywhere near Sleeping Beauty’s fairy-godmothers.” Celest speculated.  
“Only animals, dragons, and unicorns and no evil queens,” Ardwinna shook her head. At least, she thought she had never seen the queen. She had never actually met the woman in person.  
“She doesn’t pick up the mail. Her father does.” Eleanora reassured.  
“Good because I don’t want anything to interfere with its completion. We all know we must finish this task before the curse and I only hope we will not see the queen knocking on our door anytime soon.” Adalira sighed.  
A burst of icy wind stopped the celebration in its tracks. There, in the doorway, stood Queen Regina with her ridiculously long ponytail and usual black outfit. Everyone let out a gasp as the queen strolled inside with her eyes dead set on the five daughters. They stood together holding their mugs in their hand eyeing the queen as she cautiously approached.  
“So I see you’re celebrating though I don’t see what you have to celebrate for.” She huffed.  
“Care to join us in our merriment?” Eleanora offered. The queen wrinkled her nose.  
“I’d rather rip my own heart out than celebrate with the lowly likes of you peasants,” Ardwinna’s eyes flashed green as she thought about lunging for the queen. Moria held her arm out to stop Ardwinna and then crossed her arms in suspicion.  
“Why come then when we lowly common folk have nothing to offer?”  
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong,” the queen confessed, “I do need something very valuable from you. Some magic book…”  
“Not this talk again,” Adalira moaned.   
“I will not leave until I have that book in my hands,” She insisted.  
“Not tonight my dear queen,” Celest sneered, “We are in the middle of our annual Grand-Swallow festivities.”  
“What’s that?”  
“It’s what she dubbed this day as,” Eleanora interrupted Celest’s impending rant.   
“I still don’t understand…”  
“That is because tonight is a night most bitter in our hearts, my dear queen.” Adalira cried. The harsh tone startled everyone. Adalira was typically patient and merry on this day but her outburst at the queen softened some. She swirled her mug around before continuing.  
“Tonight is the anniversary of our father’s untimely demise.” The cheerful mood turned somber at the mention of this. Adalira stared down into her mug wishing she never had to utter those words tonight but there they were hanging in the air awaiting someone to catch them. Celest placed a hand on Adalira’s shoulder.   
The queen had to blink for a moment. She swore she watched the color of their hair meld into some strange blend of colors. These beautiful colors danced about the queen’s eyes and swayed to the motion of their hair. The moment passed, however, and the queen listened carefully as Celest spoke.  
“Off to document the ogre war he went one bright morning carrying nothing but bread and quill,” Celest bellowed.  
“Brave and bold he was as he ventured through the forest where the fighting grew closer,” Ardwinna hummed.  
“Listening to the clashing of swords and clubs, he happened upon a wounded soul lying in the dirt barely breathing,” Eleanora spoke in her eerie tone.  
“He stooped to help and behind him a low growl sounded followed by a crunching noise as a club came down to bash his head,” Moria harshly stated.  
“Alas he passed onto his maker at the hands of a foul beastly ogre with a fat green face, yellow teeth and grimy hands,” Adalira finished. Each daughter hung her head as they recalled the details. Tears began to form in their eyes and they sniffled.  
“John now might be the time for that sad song,” Eleanora suggested.  
“Sad song?” The queen cocked her head and gave them a perplexed look.  
“Each year we sing one sad song on this day to remember our father followed by a happy song. It’s the only sad song we allow,” Adalira explained. John nodded and strummed the notes. The five sisters stood together in a circle and held their heads high as they waited for their cue.   
The other children scuttled about dimming the candles and creating complete darkness. The fire dimmed some as if respecting the occasion. Yet they blocked the chimney’s light anyway with a few chairs and a woolen blanket. Finishing their task, they stood around listening as the sisters hum their notes.   
“Walking the night without you  
Skies too high without you  
Losing my way on silent roads without you  
Long lone streets before me  
No voice in the night to warn me  
No sound of our songs   
To bring you to me.   
Losing my way   
Stars send me astray…”  
Everyone around them was in tears at the sound of the slow and devastating song. Even the evil queen had a tear drop down her face but she quickly swatted it away. Never stirring from their circle, the girls kept singing to the rhythm of the guitar until the song ended.   
Each let out a collective sigh and paused for a moment. The silence in the air was deafening as everyone just stared and watched them. The queen had to wonder what they were waiting for.   
‘Surely the song is finished,’ she speculated. Then suddenly, John began strumming again to a far more upbeat tune. The girls grabbed each other’s hands and started to dance a bizarre dance.   
Sidestepping and bouncing along, they struck out in another song. Not another depressing song. A song with a steady bounce that was vibrant and youthful. Strands of their brown hair fell out of their hair ties as they leapt and started singing.  
“It's calling through the dark  
It's reeling in the heart  
The sound of the pipes on the wind  
The strains of the song  
Carry me along  
Sending me dancing again...”  
The candles that were once dimmed roared to life and the fire blazed with a vengeance. Each child seemed to feel a spark of light and untamed joy. They stood up and danced around the circle outside the sisters as they sang.  
“…Your songs are in my heart  
They light the dark  
So come give me your hand  
Now and we'll dance tonight  
In the blazing light  
And the years will fade away  
Fade as you play  
Play through the dark  
Play in my heart  
I'm spinning with the sound  
There a drumming in the ground  
And the humming of the song beneath my skin  
And the world falls away  
As I hear the pipes play  
Sounding the song from within  
From within…”   
They clapped and stepped then stepped and clapped all twirling and whirling in a blurry circle. Those not intertwined in the circle became dizzy just staring at them. The five girls were in total synchronization as if they had practiced these motions a million times.   
The queen observed them in fascination and her smile curled. Magic coursed through their veins and together they were a formidable force. Somewhere they had the book stashed away and she was determined to find it.  
“…There's a drumming in the ground  
And the humming of a sound  
That we once knew  
Come sing through the night  
Come fill me with your light  
Play a song sounding out through the years  
Play it steady and strong  
Fill me with song  
Sending me dancing, sending me dancing  
Dance as the pipes play away in my heart   
Come give me your hand tonight  
Your star is bright  
Your songs are in my heart!”  
“Yay!” The room erupted in applause once the note ceased. The girls rotated out of the circle and bowed revealing their flushed faces. They were each attacked by a hoard of children.   
“Again! Again!” Everyone shouted.  
“Maybe later,” Ardwinna sighed.   
“Bedtime children.” Their mother called.   
“Awww…” Each one cried in disappointment. But they obeyed nonetheless traveling in a single file line to their rooms. The girls smiled as they watched them go but their happiness did not last long. They heard someone clapping behind them.  
“Nice dance.” The queen had a raised eyebrow and a terribly devious grin. Adalira nervously rubbed her arm as she confronted the queen.  
“We still have no book for you to claim,”   
“Of course you do but considering this is a special occasion, I’m willing to wait as long as I need to.” She said as she turned to head out the door. She paused and called, “I promise you, that book will be mine.”  
There they all stood frozen in place. The night’s happiness was drained from their bodies. All they could think about was their book…THE book that would save them all. Without a word, they headed for their bedroom where their manuscript was waiting.


	6. Walking the Night

“Time to light the candles!” Ada hollered. Down came the young rascals with their feet pounding the steps. This was their favorite part of the year; All Occasions Day as Celest dubbed it. Every child was allowed to light one scented candle and every child passed the flame to another candle until all the room was lit up with tiny flickering flames.   
“One at a time.” Samantha giggled as she carefully lit each candle with the lighter.   
“Mine is gonna be the biggest flame!” Jonathan boasted.  
“Naw-ah! Mine will be the hugest, largest, gigantic flame ever! Way bigger than yours.” George countered.  
“Hush you two. It’s starting.” Maria warned. They both stopped bickering to see Ada and Helen bring out the cake Mrs. Ginger had made for them. It was a large vanilla cake with purple buttercream frosting three layers high. Their mouths drooled as Zoe struck a match and lit the candles.  
“Here’s to the day mom abandoned us!” She cried.  
“Here’s to the founding of the orphanage.” Ada chimed in.  
“Here’s to the founding of Storybrooke.” Samantha exalted.  
“Here’s to the all the forgotten people of Storybrooke.” Helen exclaimed.  
“Here’s to the day father died.” Maria breathed. Each took a swig of their drinks and blew out the candles. The children cheered and gathered around a tiny music box sitting at the table.   
“Time to sing!” They cried out in happiness.   
“Well alright.” Ada laughed as she sat at the table.  
“Can I wind it up?” Kaylee asked.   
“Sure,” Ada handed her the tiny music box. Kaylee twisted the knob as the other girls sat down. The tiny music box popped open and a sad old figurine woman sat dressed in black with tears in her eyes. A lulling tune sounded as the girls hummed their notes. Then they began to sing.  
“Walking the night without you  
Skies too high without you  
Losing my way on silent roads without you  
Long lone streets before me  
No voice in the night to warn me  
No sound of our songs   
To bring you to me.   
Losing my way   
Stars send me astray  
Walking the night without you  
Blind in sight without you  
No song I learn  
No way I turn  
Brings you closer to me  
Searching for songs without you  
Moon so cold without you  
Longing to be near  
Straining to hear  
A song from you  
Walking the stars without you…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I interrupting something?” Everyone was startled to see Regina standing inside the front doorway holding a gift in one hand and a package of flowers in the other. Helen brightened up.  
“Absolutely not, please come in.” She invited. Regina thanked her and set her gift down on the coffee table which drew the attention of the young kids who gathered around it. Regina folded one hand in the other as she spoke again.  
“I just came by to bring you this gift because of this dreadful occasion.” She handed Ada the bundle of roses.  
“Um…thanks Regina.” Ada smiled as she took the flowers and set them gently on the table.   
“It seems all the truly good people in this town keep dying. But Geoffrey was an amazing man. I feel obligated to pay my respects.”  
“Awfully kind of you Ms. Mayor,” Maria raised her eyebrows. She had an itching feeling that Regina was after something.  
“I’ve also come with a small dilemma.” Samantha almost groaned at that word. Why else would Regina barge in on their special night but to come with a favor? “I’ve lost a very important book and I thought you might know where it is.”  
“How would we know? Wouldn’t it be in the library?” Ada reasoned.  
“I’ve searched the library. It’s not there.”  
“What’s the title?” Helen asked as she pulled out the library reference book. The girls had, at one point, documented the entire book collection of Storybrooke in their personal reference book.  
“I’m not sure. It’s just a book my father used to read to me; a book about fairytales.” Regina admired the cake as she explained this.  
“Well unless you know the title Mayor then I’m afraid we can be of no service to you,” Samantha bluntly stated. Regina’s eyes became cold as frozen glass as she eyed Samantha for her rude comment. Instead of confronting Samantha, Regina sniffed and turned back towards the door.  
“Well I brought you a wonderful crystal centerpiece to brighten up the room. I’ll try to remember the title of that book.”  
“That was odd,” Helen mumbled as she placed the book back in the cabinet.   
“Was it really dearie?” A voice called from the door. It was Mr. Gold carrying a potato sack and shouldering five other gifts.  
“Mr. Gold!” The children cried in delight. They all tackled him in hugs and jumped around him. “What did you bring us?”  
“What else? A bag of toys for the children,” He dumped the contents onto the living room floor and a mountain of toys fell to the ground. The children giggled with glee as they started claiming their new toys.   
“Thanks Mr. Gold!” They thanked in unison.  
“Yes Mr. Gold. We always love it when you bring your gifts but you really don’t have too.” Ada assured him as she stood up.  
“Oh nonsense. It’s no trouble at all. Their just toys sitting around my shop gathering dust.” Mr. Gold assured back. Then he pulled the packages and set them in front of the girls. “Just like I thought about giving these away.”  
Baffled by the unusually kind gesture, the girls opened their presents. Each received a beautifully hand carved necklace with a long silvery chain. Zoe’s had a wolf as the charm. Samantha’s had a bowl as the charm. Helen’s had a purple dragon as the charm. Maria’s had a blood red dagger as the charm. Ada’s had a blue stone as the charm.   
Each girl gawked at the gift. They were at a loss for words. The notoriously stingy Mr. Gold was generously offering them these wonderful treasures from his shop and asking for nothing in return. Ada almost asked what the catch was but the gleam in Mr. Gold’s eyes prevented her from doing so. She swallowed her words and grinned.  
“Mr. Gold…we cannot express our gratitude…”  
“Actually, there is one thing I was hoping you could do for me,” Maria stiffened up. “I was wondering if you would sing for me.”  
“Of course Mr. Gold. Any particular request?”  
“How about that song called World Falls Away that you sing?” Mr. Gold’s sly smile sent shivers down Ada’s spine but nevertheless, she hummed the note. The other girls found their notes and they began to sing.  
“It's calling through the dark  
It's reeling in my heart  
A sound of the pipes on the wind  
The strains of the song carry me along  
Sending me dancing again  
From above and below  
A sound, soft and low  
And the music's flowing through me like before  
And the song that we once knew  
Brings me back to you  
Pipes play within me once more  
Your songs are in my heart  
They light the dark  
So come give me your hand, now  
And we'll dance tonight  
In the blazing light  
And the years will fade away  
Fade as you play  
Play through the dark  
Play in my heart  
I'm spinning with the sound  
There's a drumming in the ground  
And the humming of the song beneath my skin  
And the world falls away  
As I hear the pipes play  
Sounding the song from within, from within  
Your songs are in my heart  
They light the dark  
So come give me your hand, now  
And we'll dance tonight  
In the blazing light  
And the years will fade away  
Fade as you play  
Play through the dark  
Play in my heart  
There's a drumming in the ground  
And the humming of a sound that we once knew  
Come sing me through the night  
Come fill me with your light  
Now your song is sounding out through the years  
Play it steady and strong  
Fill me with this song  
Sending me dancing, sending me dancing  
Dance as the pipes play away in my heart  
Come give me your hand tonight  
Your star is bright  
Your songs are in my heart.”

“Ahh…such lovely voices,” He sighed as he placed his hat back on. “Well dearies, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Do keep up the singing, I find it rather enjoyable in this dreary town.” With a spring in his step, he walked out the door whistling the tune.  
“That was odd,” Zoe admitted as she sliced a piece of the creamy cake. Ada fingered her necklace as she possessed Zoe’s words.  
“I can’t shake the feeling he’s always up to something.”  
“What would he want with us?” Maria asked as she too carved the cake. “He never mentions anything in his shop.”  
“Maybe it’s just me,” Ada shook her head. Then she snapped out of her daze and cut up slices for the children. They sang some more with globs of gooey cake in their teeth. Then Ada had them clean up their new toys and march upstairs to bed.   
She tucked each and every one of them into bed; wrapping the warm covers over their shoulders and kissing their foreheads. Soon they were all fast asleep and Ada was downstairs with her sisters cleaning the kitchen mess.  
“Odd that both Regina and Mr. Gold decide to come today.” Ada mumbled as she scrubbed another dirty dish.  
“Mr. Gold comes every year…but those gifts were rather flashy and expensive to just give away.” Samantha got a flicker in her eyes. “Maybe they are enchanted necklaces.”  
“Don’t start the magic discussion again,” Helen moaned as she bagged the leftover pizza.  
“I personally like my necklace and thought it was a thoughtful present,” Zoe chimed in as she licked some of the frosting.  
“I’m not trusting of him but if all he wanted was to hear us sing then I’m sure that’s the end of it.” Maria speculated.  
“I’m not so sure…” Ada pondered as she dumped the dish into the dishwasher. “But it’s late. I should be going to bed.”  
“I think we’ll join you.” Zoe agreed as she yawned. They retired to their bedrooms and blew out all the candles.


	7. Impending Curse

“Come on Celest! Do you have that part finished yet?” Eleanora yelled.  
“I am stringing this book together as fast as I can!” She hollered back. Eleanora paced back and forth anxiously. Something was unsettling her nerves. She seemed to feel a disturbance forming in the sky.  
Moria sensed the same disturbance except she felt debilitating cramps. Her whole body almost convulsed and sweet dripped down her face. She was unfathomably pale and engaged in a heavy coughing fit.  
“Something….is….amiss…” She muttered.  
“Shhh…” Adalira coaxed. She sat next to Moria and dabbed her with a wet cloth in an attempt to break the fever. Deep down inside, Adalira knew exactly what was ailing Moria; vast amounts of dark magic or the vengeful curse. Today was the day it was unleashed.  
“Ardwinna are you done with Pinocchio’s story yet?” Eleanora barked. Ardwinna was in the corner frantically scrawling. Her hand flew across the page as she scrambled to complete her work.  
“Almost...finished!” She smiled pleased that she finished in time.  
“Well hurry up and let’s get it in.” Eleanora ordered.  
“A bit bossy today, are we?” Celest muttered as she completed the book binding.  
“Only because we don’t have much time.” Eleanora exhaled. An evil was brewing somewhere in the distance. Some horrible flashes of screams and crying bombarded her mind as she paced. ‘All those poor people…’  
“I’m afraid we’re out of time.” Adalira gasped as she stared out the window. There she saw huge plumes of a purple-black smoke rapidly descending upon the forest. “The curse is almost upon us.”  
“What do we do?” Ardwinna panicked.  
“Here, you all stay with Moria. I’ll be right back.” Adalira snatched the book and the manuscript from Celest’s and Ardwinna’s hands and yanked the rope. The pulley activated elevator came up and she stepped on and quickly made her way to the first floor.   
Their Mother had gathered up all the children and had them cowering underneath the table all crowded together. All except for Jonathan who glanced around in bewilderment. She rushed around and tugged at his shoulder.   
“Jonathan,” he turned around, “Listen carefully. I need you to place this somewhere safe.” She placed the large brown book in his hands. He stared in awe at the gold letters. “Hide it anywhere you can think of.”  
“Where are you going?” He cried as Adalira ran back towards the pulley.  
“I’ve got to stick with Moria and the others. Just go and hide the book. It’ll all be ok.” She called over her shoulder.  
Jonathan was at a loss. Where did someone hide a valuable book? A brilliant idea suddenly manifested itself inside his brain. Without much thought, he sprinted outside to the adjacent schoolhouse near their home and swung the door open. Shelves upon shelves of children’s books and history covered the walls.   
He quickly selected a carefully placed hiding spot between two thick storybooks. He shoved the book inside the slot and stashed the manuscript behind the creaky shelve. Satisfied with his work, he rushed back outside and almost made it to the door when he was suddenly engulfed in smoke. The choking cloud enveloped him and sent him flying through some mysterious portal.  
Back upstairs, Adalira was now the one pacing back and forth. She could only hope Jonathan had found the right spot. She could only pray that the queen would never find it. She could only guess what mysterious torment awaited them in the purple clouds.  
“It’s here.” Moria whispered. The girls all looked up and watched the curse descend upon them. They all huddled together as they were submerged in the grey smog.


	8. Faint Dreams

“Ahh!” Ada screamed. She woke in a cold sweat shivering and shaking. Clinging to the blankets, she inhaled all the air she could. Her fingers were locked up and her lip quivered.  
She never knew nightmares could be so vicious and seem so real. The heat of the flames she felt licking her cheeks and the bottom of her dress. The crunching noise the club made as it smashed into the man’s skull. The echoes that she heard say her name as she walked into the forest to do something important that she did not remember.  
A moment later, Ada heard people stirring from the other rooms. Her sisters all tumbled into Ada’s room each holding some blunt object ready to pounce. When they realized Ada was alone, they all groaned and rubbed their eyes.  
“What happened Ada? Why did you scream?” Helen asked.  
“I…I had a bad dream. Something about a massive fire engulfing someone’s house in the middle of this endless woods I was standing in and then there was an ogre killing a man and…” Ada froze as the image appeared in her mind. All the blood spurting across the ground and the ogre’s clothes…the shrieks coming from inside the house…the eerie moonlit forest she trekked through…  
“Ada…” Ada snapped out of her daze and stared at Helen who was pushing her back towards her pillow. “Maybe you should try to go back to sleep…”  
“No,” Ada sat back up and reached for her robe. “I have to write this dream down.”  
“That will only upset you more dear.” Samantha tried to stroke Ada’s head but Ada ripped out of their grip and hurriedly wrapped herself in her bathrobe.  
“You don’t understand. I NEED to write this dream down.” Ada urged. She felt this tugging sensation calling her to the typewriter; almost an intuition beckoning her to write what she saw in the nightmare.   
“But…” Helen began to protest.   
“Perhaps she’ll sleep better if we don’t disturb her and let her write.” Maria advised. Zoe and Samantha nodded in agreement and Helen sighed.  
“Alright. Try to get some rest though,” With that they all filed out of Ada’s room. Ada exited her room as well and walked to the other end of the hallway. She pulled a string and loud creaking door opened from the wall.   
Walking up the stairs beyond the doorway, Ada rushed up to the attic where the girl’s secret writing sanctuary was kept. A desk was pushed into the corner of the room where a large old fashioned typewriter was perched on top. The desk was right next to the window which overlooked part of the forest and the town.  
Ada ignored the brilliant view as she scooted into the chair and opened the trunk under the window. Inside was a huge stack of crisp white paper and scores of ink canisters. She picked up a piece of paper and wound it into the typewriter.   
Her fingers flew across the keys. All she could think was write…write…write. A faint familiarity came with the words on the page but something was missing. Something was always missing in their stories but no sister could identify the problem.   
There she stayed, typing away at the old machine. She hardly heard the birds chirp. She did not even see the sun as it rose over Storybrooke. Ada only stopped typing when every word was written down on the pages.


End file.
